A walking aid device may be designed to assist a user who cannot walk normally on his own or her own (e.g., one afflicted by Parkinson's disease).
Conventionally, a walking aid device may be categorized into one of a passive walking aid device and an active walking aid device. While a passive walking aid device, such as an assistive cane, is relatively lighter and easy to operate, the weight of the passive walking aid device must be carried by the user during a walk.
For example, when a user operates a quadricane in a walk, the user needs to move the quadricane to a position in front of the user to serve as a supporting point, before taking a step toward the supporting point. Additionally, after one or two steps, the user is required to move the quadricane again in order to continue walking.
An active walking aid device is typically equipped with a set of wheels, motors for driving the set of wheels, and means for detecting an intention of the user so as to move the active walking aid device accordingly.
A number of ways may be implemented for detecting the intention of the user. For example, one or more force detectors may be incorporated into the active walking aid device. Additionally, one or more laser detectors may be employed to detect gait of the user, in order to deduce the user's intention to move.